Food, food, food. And, of course, some wine. Bruno and his friends, children and animals. Some little mysteries, some romance. Bruno figures it all out and resolves things in the least painful way for everyone. I had previously read some of these stories. A very enjoyable collection.

In a series of short stories by Martin Walker that feature Bruno Courreges, chief of police, he brings you back to St. Denis France and all of the people and places that his readers have come to love. Whether he is patrolling the markets or enjoying a glass of wine with his fiends, Bruno is always in tune with the people around him. A fledgling tour company whose minibus is repeatedly damaged, a budding romance sabotaged by a jealous relative, the rescue of campers from a river and a young vintner whose organic process is threatened by a neighboring vineyard treated with chemicals and fungicides are just a few of the problems that he encounters.

There is no problem that can not be solved with the help of his friends and the mayor. The fresh strawberries sold in the market or the vichyssoise served at a weekly gathering will leave your mouth watering as Walker describes the local foods that are served. Accompanied by his dog Balzac, Bruno is a romantic and a practical man who looks for solutions that benefit everyone rather than just making arrests that may ruin lives. Walker offers gentle stories that leave you with a desire to once again visit St. Denis. I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for making this book available for my review.

Bruno's Challenge and Other Stories of the French Countryside is a quaint and gently written collection of short stories featuring the main characters from the Bruno, Chief of Police novels by Martin Walker. Due out 15th March 2022 from Knopf Doubleday on their Knopf imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

These books are so very well written and so comforting to read. They're gentle stories, full of slice-of-life anecdotes and told well, with drama and sometimes pathos, good (but never cruel) moments of humour and always, always good food, wine, and friends. That's what keeps me coming back. I love reading the delicious food commentary and preparation and the rich atmosphere of the French countryside and Bruno's circle of friends, associates, and acquaintances.

Most of the stories also contain one or more small everyday mysteries which are generally well resolved by the end of each tale. The bulk of these stories have been released as individual shorts earlier, though this is their first collection in one volume. There is very little in the way of backstory provided, and as such, they're probably not the best entry into the series as a whole. For current fans of Bruno, and Mr. Walker's beautifully living French countryside, these stories are a treat.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Martin Walker has been writing about Bruno (Chief of Police) through fourteen books with a fifteenth coming later this year. So many enjoy his novels and will be delighted by this collection of short stories.

There are so many things to love in Bruno and his world. There is, of course, Bruno’s personality. I also very much like how the settings and people come to life. I do think, though, that one of the greatest joys comes from all of the food and drink. All of these favored elements are present in these stories.

I truly recommend this collection. It makes me want to go back to read all of the titles in the series.

This title will be published on 15 Mar 2022.

There's something irresistible in the world Martin Walker has created in his Bruno series: a world rich in friendship, suspense, and...food. So it's a treat to spend time with Bruno and Martin Walker in this first collection of Bruno stories--both a captivating addition to the series for old readers and an enticing introduction to it for readers who haven't yet had the pleasure of entering Bruno's world. Highly recommended--

I love Martin Walker's series and thoroughly enjoyed these short stories. We follow Bruno as he problem solves through a range of situations. There is always friendship, kindness and descriptions of his cooking as well as delicious meals. Bruno comes across a range of situations and sometimes it takes a united effort with the Mayor and sometimes Bruno's unique brand of policing gets the job done.

Bruno's Challenge is a collection of short stories featuring Bruno and all the usual characters from the Bruno series.. Some stories are heartwarming, some are sad but all serve to champion Bruno. He is the ultimate detective, mediator, cook and friend. If you've read the series then this collection will be a nice meet up with all the St.Denis residents: If you haven't then they serve as an introduction to the town, it's inhabitants and the beautiful Perigord region of France.

Martin Walker has created one of the best environments and characters ever. Bruno chief of police series is a wonderful series set in the Dordogne area in France and we get everything. Murders, mysteries, small crimes, food and drink, love stories and friendship. This one is the first collection of short stories, some of them old and some of them new. I have never felt such an urge to visit and even move to a place as when I read these stories and also I get very hungry reading about Brunos cooking. This region in France seems to have it all, the history with some of the oldest cave paintings in the world. All the castles and winemakers. The influence in food from all the people who has settled there and visited the place. I love the description of rural country village life and search for a good life. I can not help myself from telling everyone to try these books. #BrunosChallenge #NetGalley #KnopfDoubleDay I must thank @netgalley @aaknopf for giving me this advance copy and #MartinWalker for writing these wonderful stories.